Originally Posted by
wrxmom
As an add-on to cordelli's post, the clock doesn't start until the plane takes off. If the plane is delayed, they make less money.
That depends on the airline. At least for the crew at the pointy end, I know some airlines base it on the time the parking brake is released to the time it's activated at the destination. So yes, some airlines do pay for time spent taxiing, sitting in the penalty box, etc.